“I’m overwhelmed, I’m looking forward to it and I’m really excited to get started,” he said.

“To be given a fresh start at a new club like Chelsea, it’s unbelievable for me. I’m looking forward to continuing where I left off at the end of last season and hoping to improve and add more goals to my game.”

Barkley has not played for England since 2016 but he is now rated at 9/4 to make it into Gareth Southgate’s squad by Coral.

“A move to Chelsea may just be what Ross Barkley needs. If he can get some playing time in the second half of the season, it would be no surprise to see his odds come crashing down for a seat on the plane to Russia,” said Coral’s John Hill.